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Twitter’s New “First View” Ad Spot Gives Video Ads Top Billing For 24 Hours

Auto-play Promoted Video ads appear in the top ad spot in the app and on the web.

Ginny Marvin on February 9, 2016 at 8:30 am

If scroll blindness is the new banner blindness, Twitter is rolling out a potential solution for advertisers looking for maximum visibility and engagement on the social network.

First View, Twitter’s latest ad effort, gives advertisers billboard positioning for their video ads in the top ad spot (below one organic tweet) in targeted users’ timelines for 24 hours.

When users visit Twitter via the app or web for the first time during that 24-hour period, a Promoted Video will appear in the top ad spot, visible above the fold. The placement guarantees that advertisers at least have the opportunity to get noticed and engage with users before they start swiping down through their timelines.

For now, the placements are aimed at brand and media advertisers looking to get maximum viewability for their video campaigns on the platform.

20th Century Fox is a launch advertiser, using First View to promote the trailer for the new Zac Efron movie, “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates,” along with the Promoted Trend, #MikeAndDaveNeedYou. “We are able to hit a broad movie-going audience with great video in a way that not just garners views, but actually creates social momentum,” said president of marketing Marc Weinstock of First View.

T-Mobile is using the spot to promote its Verizon-taunting #Ballogize campaign featuring Steve Harvey.

Advertisers are charged for Promoted Videos after the video plays in view for at least three seconds or the user clicks on the video to watch it with sound in full-screen mode. Along with the added exposure for advertisers, the additional views should help Twitter boost ad revenue from Promoted Videos. (The company, under fire from investors for slow user growth and from users over rumored algorithmic timeline changes that sent #RIPTwitter trending, reports on fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday.)

The new placement is rolling out slowly to managed clients in the US. Twitter says it plans to expand First View globally for self-managed accounts in the coming months.

About The Author

Ginny Marvin

Ginny Marvin is Third Door Media's Editor-in-Chief, managing day-to-day editorial operations across all of our publications. Ginny writes about paid online marketing topics including paid search, paid social, display and retargeting for Search Engine Land, Marketing Land and MarTech Today. With more than 15 years of marketing experience, she has held both in-house and agency management positions. She can be found on Twitter as @ginnymarvin.